ASU Cross Country Opens Season with Two Top-Six Finishes

IRVINE, Calif.-- Arizona State opened the 1997 cross country season Saturday at the UC Irvine
Invitational and the Sun Devils came away with a fourth-place finish for the men and a sixth-place
finish for the women.

ASU seniors Ari Rodriguez and Matt Repak returned from redshirt seasons to finish 11th and 12th
overall, respectively, in the 8,000-meter men's race. Rodriguez came in at 25:58 while Repak
finished one second behind. Freshman Ben Ervington also claimed a Top 20 finish among the 114
participants, placing 18th in 26:09.

On the women's side of the draw, ASU's Mary Duerbeck (18:17) and Allison Had (18:18) finished 17th
and 18th, respectively, in the 5,000-meter race that included 125 participants.